Annnd it was time for the conclusion of our journey. A finish to a program that wasn’t appreciated by network executives, but was one of the best dating reality television shows of 2022. It was time for the (most likely series) finale of The Real Love Boat.

Our final three couples, Dan and Shea Lynn, Jordan and Kendra, and Emily and Mike were all pumped for the finish.

Dan and Shea Lynn may be have been the sentimental favorite for being together so long.
Jordan, the reformed player, and Kendra, the unofficial cast leader, were the underdog story that had never won a challenge.
And Emily from Wisconsin, who I was rooting for (along with every other viewer from the midwest) along with “Olive Oil Thor”, Mike, who many fans rallied behind despite a late debut.

Here is a mini poll I did last week.

Who would you like to see win #TheRealLoveBoat???

— The Frank Torres Report (@ftrtoday) December 14, 2022

Our finale would take place in Naples with three challenges. And it was Jerry and Rebecca time! These two have been a lot of fun and I’m grateful they’ve been entertaining me for decades. I’m ready for their next projects.

The first challenge was the Love Match game. Guys had to guess facts about the girls (Happy Birthday, Emily! And great movie choice by Kendra) after the first round, Mike and Emily had the lead.

Next, our Regal Princess crew, Captain Paolo, Matt and Ezra, had the chance to get in on the action and I’ll miss this trio as well. They each took turns asking big questions about each of the couples and their intentions, before deciding who had the best connection. Paolo voted for Dan and Shea. Kendra and Jordan got Ezra’s vote. And Matt would also side with Dan and Shea Lynn because of their track record with challenges. This was good here because it made the challenges feel like they actually meant something in the end.

Our last challenge would be in front of a room of other couples, where each of the finalists would get the chance to tell their story. Dan and Shea Lynn would wing it, Kendra and Jordan would reiterate their promise to Jordan’s mom of succeeding, and Mike and Emily were last with the latter discovering “her true self” after meeting him. The segment was cut to make it seem like Mike and Emily resonated the best with the audience.

After a final bonding cocktail party it was time to determine who our winners were. We haven’t mentioned it but there was also $50K and another luxury cruise at stake, so this mattered quite a lot.

Kendra and Jordan would come in third.

And a great commercial cut. Normally, I don’t fall for those, but I did here.

Dan and Shea Lynn would come in second.

And Emily from Wisconsin and Mike would be the winners of The Real Love Boat. Jerry and Rebecca would sing us off and that was that.

This was a good show.

CBS left it for dead after just a couple of weeks. But the more I think about it, maybe CBS shouldn’t have had it. This was a younger and trendier show that just happened to play off of a TV classic. The guests on this show were younger than the people who watch the network.

But let’s end on a positive note. My numbers here were great. That means there was enough of us to get together and appreciate this every week. I’m grateful for you.

Until next time.

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